East german gas mask bag

Medals involve not only the metal itself but also the ribbon, and these materials are susceptible to damage from moisture, dust, sunlight, and changes in temperature. Museums keep medals in locations with regulated temperature, humidity, and light levels to minimize discoloration and deterioration. At home, collectors should keep medals clean and dry, and should store them in a location that is not prone to extreme temperatures. Damp conditions corrode the metals and rot the ribbons, while high temperatures make ribbons go brittle. Acid-free cardboard boxes are a good storage solution, but wooden boxes coated with polyurethane resin are also acceptable. Collectors should avoid polishing medals, as the polish causes abrasion, and they should always wear gloves when handling the medals.

A variation of the GP-5 gas mask is the GP-5m, which features a circular piece of metal that contains a thin piece of plastic on the inside, which acts as a voice diaphragm ('voicemitter'), as well as the dubious design for ear holes, which compromised the seal of the mask. The military version of the GP-5 uses a near-identical facepiece but with an elongated filter housing, to which is fitted a hose which in turn connects to a tall can-type filter which remains supported in the mask's haversack whilst the mask is worn. The GP-5 and military version were issued respectively to the civilian population and armed forces of the Soviet Union and it's Warsaw Pact allies, among which they were given differing designations. The East German Armed Forces designated the military version the SchM41M, and the variant with small eyepieces and a voicemitter for those with a need to use optical equipment (. officers - binoculars) was known as the SchMS.

In the late 1980's the East German NVA (Army) was upgrading a lot of combat gear and this is one of the pieces from that upgrade. While many thousands of sets were produced, most were never issued. My bag arrived in new, never used condition and I'll bet yours will be the same. These are for the old (heck, ancient by the time these were being produced) M1941 Russian mask. As such there's a LOT of room in this bag (the large filter lived in the bag and had a hose to the front of the mask-not inconvenient at all!) and it has dividers aplenty. AND it's waterproof! It does have nice big belt loops to attach to a belt, but you'll need to attach your own shoulder strap, as these don't have one. Still a great value for the money!